Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve

Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve is a protected site on the bottom of Lake Superior containing numerous shipwrecks in exceptionally clear water. The site covers a large area where sunken vessels rest at varying depths, making them accessible to experienced divers.

Waters around Whitefish Point have seen shipwrecks for more than two centuries, with incidents beginning in the early 1800s and continuing through much of the 1900s. This long history of maritime disasters made the area one of the most dangerous passages on the Great Lakes.

The nearby Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum displays objects recovered from sunken vessels and explains how this region became one of the most treacherous passages for ships. Visitors can understand how these waters shaped maritime life and disaster in the Great Lakes.

Divers require advanced certification and special breathing equipment to explore the deeper wrecks below the surface. The clear water provides good conditions for experienced underwater exploration, but it demands proper preparation and planning.

The wrecks here are free from invasive zebra mussels that typically infest ships and structures in the lake and damage them rapidly. This preserves the sunken vessels in their original condition and lets visitors observe the wrecks in a largely unchanged state.